Abstract Emotions
Abstract Emotions is a collection of 23 short stories focusing on an abstract emotion (i.e Sonder) written by yours truly. This idea is inspired by this Tumblr post. 'Sonder' The realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own. Perched upon a bench in a dimly-lit park at 4 in the afternoon, a feminine figure clad in winter clothes held a mug of steaming hot chocolate, quietly observing the early morning joggers. Her lips curved into a smile, feeling admiration for the people who endured the cold winter air so they can keep in shape. She sipped her hot chocolate and tightened her scarf a bit, waving hello to another jogger who passed by her bench. It wasn't until she finished her drink that the realization hit her. Well, not exactly the realization, just a question that lead to the realization. A jogger went past her, talking to his phone, looking quite troubled. I wonder what's the problem he's facing. As soon as the question flowed in her mind, time seemed to stand still. She didn't know why she hadn't realized this before but of course passerbys have lives like her. She just hasn't realized that said passerbys' lives are as complex as hers. Each passerby has hobbies, likes, dislikes, problems, dreams. Each passerby has friends, family, enemies even. Each passerbys' lives are as vivid and as complex as her own. The realization hit her pretty hard and she was surprised that she didn't drop her mug. She blinked once, then twice before shaking her head to knock her out of her stupor. She took a deep breath before standing up, deciding to return to her apartment. Well, seeing as it was in the middle of winter, it was quite plausible that she would slip and fall. She did slip but she didn't get to fall since a kind passerby was able to catch her on time. "Watch where you step, young lady. Winter isn't very con-''snow''-dirate this year." He said with a chuckle. "That was a bad pun." She deadpanned, earning her a chuckle. "I try." A pun-filled conversation later, she walked home with a smile on her face and a meet-up at the cafe later this day. 'Opia' The ambiguous intensity of Looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable. TBW 'Monachopsis' The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place. TBW 'Énouement' The bittersweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self. TBW 'Vellichor' The strange wistfulness of used bookshops. TBW 'Rubatosis' The unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat. TBW 'Kenopsia' The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet. TBW 'Mauerbauertraurigkeit' The inexplicable urge to push people away, even close friends who you really like. TBW 'Jouska' A hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head. TBW 'Chrysalism' The amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm. TBW 'Vemödalen' The frustration of photographing something amazing when thousands of identical photos already exist. TBW 'Anecdoche' A conversation in which everyone is talking, but nobody is listening. TBW 'Ellipsism' A sadness that you’ll never be able to know how history will turn out. TBW 'Kuebiko' A state of exhaustion inspired by acts of senseless violence. TBW 'Lachesism' The desire to be struck by disaster – to survive a plane crash, or to lose everything in a fire. TBW 'Exulansis' The tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it. TBW 'Adronitis' Frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone. TBW 'Rückkehrunruhe' The feeling of returning home after an immersive trip only to find it fading rapidly from your awareness. TBW 'Nodus Tollens' The realization that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymore. TBW ''Onism'' The frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time. TBW 'Liberosis' The desire to care less about things. TBW 'Altschmerz' Weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had – the same boring flaws and anxieties that you’ve been gnawing on for years. TBW 'Occhiolism' The awareness of the smallness of your perspective. TBW Category:Originals